I got my Pixel 10 in August last year, and I am totally impressed by its overall performance. There was definitely a rough patch of a couple of months when the performance of my phone degraded a lot after downloading the March 2026 update, but Google was kind enough to address it with a patch released a few months later. However, I was still thinking of upgrading to the Pixel 11, but the leaked price details make me believe that skipping the upgrade this year would be the right decision.
Price increase and less RAM
My colleague Anam recently reported that the price increase for Pixel 11 phones has been confirmed by Google's vice president of devices and services, Shakil Barkat. The gist is that the company can no longer absorb rising memory costs, so the upcoming Google smartphones will be more expensive. This confirms an earlier report from Dealabs about Pixel 11 price increases.
While the exact figure hasn't been disclosed, each model is believed to cost about $100 more than its predecessor. Unfortunately, the higher price may not be the worst part.
The upcoming devices are also reported to ship with less RAM than before. For example, the base Pixel 11 Pro could launch with 12 GB of RAM instead of the 16 GB that has been standard in Pixel Pro variants since the Pixel 9 Pro.
You do get more storage
On one hand, the tech giant might increase the price while also reducing the RAM. On the other hand, it is also reported to make 256 GB the starting storage option of its upcoming phones. It's the same strategy that Apple followed with the iPhone 17 series.
Recommended For You
So basically, Google could try to compensate for the reported $100 price increase by offering more storage. But will Pixel fans welcome this change? They won't, according to the sentiment on online forums like Reddit.
Reddit user criticizing the rumored price increase of Pixel 11 phones. | Image by Reddit
For instance, a user on Reddit commented that, "Going from 16 GB of RAM to 12 GB of RAM on a phone that costs $100 more is a tough sell." The user further mentioned that they would rather get an older Pixel phone instead of buying the upcoming model. Another user commented, or better said, predicted that the sales of the upcoming Pixel series would likely plummet once consumers realize that they aren't getting any major upgrade despite the price increase.
Are you upgrading to the Pixel 11 if it really costs more?
None of the specifications seem appealing
From everything that has surfaced online about the Pixel 11 lineup, it appears that all the variants would receive just incremental upgrades over their respective predecessors. Pixel Glow would definitely be an all-new addition to the lineup, but your votes suggest that you guys are less interested in it and want Google to focus on improving the basics first, like performance.
The upcoming Google smartphone series would be powered by the Tensor G6 chipset, and while it will definitely be more powerful than the Tensor G5 that powered the Pixel 10 family, I highly doubt it will be able to compete against the flagship processors from Qualcomm and Apple. Battery capacity is also believed to shrink in the upcoming phones, plus the tech giant would continue to use the same lithium-ion technology instead of switching to silicon carbon like Samsung.
Furthermore, the devices are rumored to use a 5-year-old GPU, which would allow Google to save die space for larger CPU and NPU upgrades. It will basically ensure that the Pixel phones get amazing AI capabilities, which is something my colleague Alan prefers, but at the same time, the use of an older GPU could mean the Google phones would continue to struggle with games, unlike other phones of the same price range.
There are definitely some positives
In addition to Pixel Glow and a new processor, there are a few reported upgrades that are definitely noteworthy. For instance, the Pixel 11 phones would reportedly use the MediaTek M90 modem, which is expected to improve connectivity, power efficiency, and thermal performance. The face unlock mechanism is also being upgraded to work better in low-lighting conditions.
But are these upgrades enough to upgrade from Pixel 10 to Pixel 11? Not for me. You can definitely make the switch if you have a Pixel 9 or an older model.
However, if you daily drive a Pixel 10 like me, upgrading to Pixel 11 doesn't seem like a good decision at the moment based on everything that has leaked about the device online. Still, I would wait for the official launch of the lineup on August 12th before finalizing anything.
You would not want to miss out on the following stories if you're genuinely interested in the Pixel 11 lineup:
Want to remain updated on everything related to Pixels? Then give me a follow on X and Threads
Six-month unlimited plan is now 57% off
$90
$210
$120 off (57%)
Mint Mobile is now allowing you to get whichever plan you like for either three, six, or 12 months for just $15/mo. If you go for the six-month unlimited service, for instance, you'll now have to pay just $90 upfront instead of $210.
Aman Kumar is a news writer at PhoneArena covering Google Pixel phones, Android features, AI-powered smartphone tools, and mobile tech news. Before joining PhoneArena, he spent over five years writing about consumer technology for publications like MakeUseOf, How-To Geek, and Guiding Tech. His current daily drivers are the Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus, while his red iPhone SE (2nd gen) remains a personal favorite. Aman also appreciates bold smartphone experiments and still considers the Nokia N-Gage one of the industry’s most iconic designs.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: